Trail Of Rumors Left By Munoz

May 30, 1986|By Mark Eissman and Mark Zambrano. Casey Banas, Jean Latz Griffin and Valerie Phillips contributed to this report. It was written by Griffin.

The city`s ethnic and political factions are scrambling to assess the fallout and, perhaps, to enhance their own positions after the decision by George Munoz, the city`s most visible Hispanic, to step down as school board president.

As Hispanics rallied Thursday to ask Munoz to reconsider, questions arose about whether his move would affect Hispanic power, alter voting loyalties or diminish Hispanic support for Mayor Harold Washington.

The scenarios spun out by the groups span the extremes. They underscore the volatility of Chicago politics and the relationship between the Chicago City Council and the school board and among the black, white and Hispanic members of each.

At one end of the speculation about why Munoz chose not to seek a third one-year term in office is that Washington dumped him to place ``his own guy,`` probably a black, in the post.

At the other end is an appraisal of Munoz as an ``egocentric, ultimate politician,`` who saw a chance to step out of a potential hot spot when he was ahead and reap a great deal of publicity from the move, testing the waters for other political positions.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

``This is Chicago,`` said Munoz, when asked Thursday about the continuing speculation about why he decided to leave the presidency. ``I guess one can always expect speculation to run its own course and people will be hard-pressed to accept a personal decision.``

At an emotional meeting Thursday night, more than 500 Hispanics pleaded with Munoz not to resign.

``Munoz! Munoz! Munoz!`` shouted the crowd gathered for a convention and rally sponsored by the United Neighborhood Organization at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 3200 E. 91st St. Most stood and applauded as Munoz approached the microphone to answer their plea.

``The important thing is that I will maintain my status on the board and continue to fight for those things I think are right,`` he said to the group. ``I think it is a disappointment now, but hopefully in the months and years to come it will bear out that there are different ways to work for the betterment of public education.``

But as the requests for Munoz to reconsider continued Thursday, so did speculation about his departure.

Predictably, those pushing the ``Washington dumped him`` theory are anti- administration aldermen who would benefit from pitting blacks against Hispanics, especially when Washington`s tenuous control of the city council could be undone by the switch of one vote.

Four aldermen are Hispanic, two allied with Washington and two with the leader of the opposition bloc, Ald. Edward Vrdolyak (10th).

One of the pro-Vrdolyak aldermen, Juan Soliz (25th), was among the first to put forth the theory that Washington dumped Munoz.

``It`s clear, almost common knowledge that the mayor dumped him,`` Soliz said. ``It`s just a question of whether the truth comes out or not.``

Soliz, however, admitted that he had not talked to Munoz in two weeks.

``I know this is based on good information; I don`t need to hear it directly from George,`` he said.

Munoz and Washington have consistently denied that there was any such effort.

``I`ve never seen as much crap in my life,`` Washington said of reports that he had pressured Munoz to resign.

Political analysts say it would not make sense for Washington to dump Munoz and anger the Hispanic community at a time when Washington has just won control of the city council.

Munoz said the mayor had expressed disappointment that he was leaving the presidency.

``He listed some reasons why he thought it would be good for the city, the board and myself to continue,`` Munoz said. ``But he left it up to me.``

Others, however, point to Munoz`s resignation as an example of his political astuteness aimed at higher goals.

A top City Hall official in the mayor`s camp said there have been rumors for three months that Munoz was looking at other options, but that everyone, including the mayor, was taken by surprise at the timing.

He marveled, though, at how well the whole incident had been

``strategically controlled,`` almost choreographed, and said the outpouring of sympathy would greatly enhance the ambitions of someone with political aspirations, as Munoz has admitted he has.

``Munoz has developed a level of sympathy that`s just amazing, and the saga continues,`` the official said. ``It`s almost as if he`s becoming a martyr.``

He said the ``saga`` involved a strategic release of information--first rumors, then calls to board members, then a resignation--followed by a clamor for Munoz to reconsider.

``He`s gotten every major public official to say how good of a job he`s done,`` the official said. ``It`s become a game of who can say the nicest things about him.``

Munoz admitted that he had been pleased by the ``overwhelming response.`` He said Thursday that he has received ``hundreds of calls saying: `Please reconsider. Call me before you really decide.` ``

``But at my age I want to leave myself open to pursue other avenues of public service,`` he said.